Noraville
With a 10.4% vacancy rate and 91.8% separate house stock squeezed into just 1.76 km2, Noraville on the NSW Central Coast signals a classic holiday-fringe suburb where demand is seasonal rather than constant. The median house price of $890,500 sits well above the national average for a suburb of 3,001 residents, yet household income tracks only the 46th percentile nationally. That gap between price and income is the defining tension: mortgage-to-income runs at 31.2%, above the 30% stress threshold, while 36.2% of owners hold their homes outright, pointing to a split between established long-termers and stretched recent buyers.
Population
3,001
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,480/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
33
Median House
$890K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $890,500 median house price rose from $873,000 in 2024 to $900,000 in 2025, a 3.1% annual gain. Detached houses dominate at 91.8% of all dwellings, with apartments at just 4.2% and semi-detached homes at 4.1%, so buyers compete almost entirely in the house market. Three-bedroom homes are the most common at 43.3%, with four-plus bedroom dwellings making up 36.4%, suggesting strong family-sized stock. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, but at a mortgage-to-income ratio of 31.2% this exceeds the standard stress threshold compared to households earning below the national median. Outright owners account for 36.2% of tenure, a relatively high share that limits turnover and keeps supply tight.
For Buyers
The $890,500 median house price rose from $873,000 in 2024 to $900,000 in 2025, a 3.1% annual gain. Detached houses dominate at 91.8% of all dwellings, with apartments at just 4.2% and semi-detached homes at 4.1%, so buyers compete almost entirely in the house market. Three-bedroom homes are the most common at 43.3%, with four-plus bedroom dwellings making up 36.4%, suggesting strong family-sized stock. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, but at a mortgage-to-income ratio of 31.2% this exceeds the standard stress threshold compared to households earning below the national median. Outright owners account for 36.2% of tenure, a relatively high share that limits turnover and keeps supply tight.
For Investors
A 28.9% renter share provides a moderate tenant pool, and weekly rent of $370 is lower compared to the broad NSW coastal belt given the $890,500 median, implying a gross yield well under 3%. The standout concern is the 10.4% vacancy rate, well above the 2-3% healthy range, which directly compresses rents and extends vacancy periods for landlords. Development activity recorded 31 applications in the past 12 months, including new dwelling houses and complying development certificates, indicating ongoing infill activity in the compact 1.76 km2 footprint. The suburb lacks detailed crime data in available sources, and no school infrastructure is recorded locally, both factors that reduce appeal for families considering a long-term rental.
Development Activity
Total DAs
175
Last 12 Months
33
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+153.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Noraville iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Mary's Catholic Primary School
K-6 · 545 students
Demographics
The median age of 42 is 2.0 years above the national figure, consistent with the older coastal-retiree cohort that dominates many Central Coast suburbs. Overseas-born residents make up just 10.5% of the population, which is 11.1 percentage points below the national average, making Noraville one of the more Anglo-homogeneous communities in NSW. Ancestry is led by English (1,227 residents), Irish (431) and Scottish (339). University qualifications reach 21.0%, which is 9.1 points below the national rate, reflecting a trade and service-sector workforce rather than a knowledge economy. Average household size of 2.5 matches the national figure. Couples with children (895) outnumber couples without children (619) among the 2,305 recorded families, slightly unusual for an older-skewing population.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
91.8%
Houses
4.1%
Townhouse
4.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure splits into three groups: 36.2% own outright, 34.9% carry a mortgage and 28.9% rent. The high outright ownership share relative to mortgage holders suggests a long-settled base of older owner-occupiers. Separate houses account for 91.8% of the stock, the highest tier of detached dominance, while apartments (4.2%) and semi-detached (4.1%) together cover less than 9%. Three-bedroom homes lead at 43.3% and four-plus at 36.4%, meaning smaller two-bedroom dwellings at 16.7% are comparatively scarce. Price history shows a 3.1% rise from $873,000 in 2024 to $900,000 in 2025. The 10.4% vacancy rate is a structural signal: more than one in ten dwellings sat empty at census time, consistent with a significant holiday home component that suppresses rental demand year-round.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$370
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$729
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.4%
Unoccupied
130
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
31.2% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.9%
Couples, no children
2,305
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant employer at 22.8% of the local workforce (198 workers), followed by Construction at 16.0% (139) and Education at 13.9% (121). Public Administration at 8.4% and Professional/Technical services at 5.9% round out the top five. By occupation, Professionals lead (231), then Community and Personal service workers (207) and Clerical/Administrative staff (169). Full-time employment is 56.0% of employed residents and the unemployment rate is 6.1%, above the national average, which partly reflects the lower participation rate of 49.5% driven by 953 residents not in the labour force. Weekly household income of $1,480 sits at the 46th income percentile nationally, below the national median despite a house price above many higher-income suburbs.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.0%
Part-time
37.9%
Participation
49.5%
Employed
1,137
Occupations
Top Industries
University
21.0%
Postgraduate
3.0%
Born Overseas
10.5%
Dwellings
1,130
Transport to Work
Car dependence is extreme: 90.4% of residents drive to work, compared to just 1.3% using public transport and 1.9% walking or cycling. This is significantly above national car-use norms and reflects the suburb's limited bus connectivity typical of smaller Central Coast localities. No schools are recorded within the Noraville boundary, so families depend on schooling in neighbouring suburbs such as Toukley or Lake Haven. Crime statistics are unavailable for direct comparison. The rent-to-income ratio of 25.0% sits at a comfortable level for renters, below the 30% stress threshold. Volunteering at 10.6% is moderate, and 9.1% of residents (261 people) require daily assistance, a figure consistent with the above-average median age of 42 compared to the national median of 40.
Drive
90.4%
Public Transport
1.3%
Walk / Cycle
1.9%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Noraville compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Noraville a good suburb to live in?
Noraville suits owner-occupiers seeking detached housing on the Central Coast. Separate houses make up 91.8% of dwellings and outright owners account for 36.2% of residents. The main trade-offs are limited public transport (1.3% commute share), no recorded schools within the suburb boundary, and a high 10.4% vacancy rate that signals seasonal demand rather than a consistent residential base. Household income sits at the 46th percentile nationally.
What is the median house price in Noraville?
The median house price is $890,500, rising from $873,000 in 2024 to $900,000 in 2025, a 3.1% gain. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 31.2%, above the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $370, implying a gross yield below 3% against the current median.
What schools are in Noraville?
No schools are recorded within the Noraville suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring localities. The suburb's university qualification rate is 21.0%, which is 9.1 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting a local workforce concentrated in trades, healthcare and community services rather than higher-education professions.
Is Noraville safe?
Crime statistics for Noraville are not available in this dataset for direct comparison. As an indirect indicator, the suburb has a 6.1% unemployment rate, above the national average, and 9.1% of residents (261 people) require daily assistance, consistent with an older population. SEIFA disadvantage scores are not available for this suburb at the SA1 level.
Is Noraville good for property investment?
The investment case is mixed. Weekly rent of $370 against an $890,500 median implies a gross yield under 3%, and the 10.4% vacancy rate is well above the healthy 2-3% range, indicating significant holiday or unoccupied stock. There were 31 development applications in 12 months, showing active infill. The 3.1% price gain from 2024 to 2025 is modest compared to many NSW coastal markets.
How is Noraville's population changing?
The current population is 3,001 across 1.76 km2, giving a density of 1,707.7 persons per km2. Residential turnover was 23.6% over the prior period, with 76.4% of residents staying put, a relatively stable base. The 10.4% vacancy rate suggests a portion of dwellings function as holiday or secondary homes rather than permanent residences, which complicates direct population trend readings.
How much development is happening in Noraville?
There were 31 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including new dwelling house approvals and complying development certificates. Given the small 1.76 km2 footprint, this is a moderate-to-active level of activity, concentrated on infill residential projects. Most recent applications cover dwelling alterations or single new house approvals rather than large multi-unit developments.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
Explore Noraville on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map